North-Tethyan Tithonian chitinoidellids from exotic limestone pebbles in the Silesian Nappe (Polish Outer Carpathians)

A small group of Tithonian planktonic ciliates, little-known in the area of the Polish Outer Carpathians, has been recorded in exotic limestones from the western part of the Silesian Nappe. Eleven species of the family Chitinoidellidae Trejo, 1975, belonging to the genera Chitinoidella, Daciella, Dobeniella, Longicollaria and Popiella are described here. The majority of studied samples have been assigned to the Boneti Subzone of the Chitinoidella Zone. Exotics with chitinoidellids represent environments which can be interpreted as platform margin reefs, slope of platform and inner platform

El entorno de información de la creación estética de soluciones respetuosas con el medio ambiente y la aplicación de fuentes de energía alternativas en zonas suburbanas.

Després d’un període de fascinació pel propi fet de generar energies renovables barates, estem entrant en un període de recerca de solucions que no només serien útils sinó que també tindrien una forma atractiva. La societat de la informació posa a disposició dels dissenyadors la tasca d’assegurar que les solucions respectuoses amb el medi ambient es converteixin estèticament en una part integral d’un emplaçament arquitectònic o d’un traçat urbà i no tinguin un impacte advers sobre el paisatge. El progrés tecnològic en l’aplicació de tècniques digitals millora enormement les eines de l’arquitecte en aquesta matèria, ja que permet no només la modelització de sistemes a l’espai virtual de l’ordinador sinó també la simulació de processos a la recerca de solucions òptimes, mantenint el control del forma. Aquesta investigació pot ser una eina que afavoreixi la protecció del paisatge cultural i natural. L’objectiu d’aquest article és analitzar alguns dels èxits recents en l’ús de la simulació per ordinador, la seva utilitat per configurar i controlar el paisatge suburbà, i en particular les solucions que treuen energia del sol.After a period of fascination with the very fact of generating cheap renewable energies we are entering a period of seeking solutions which would not only be useful but would also have an attractive form. The information society sets for the designers the task of ensuring that environment-friendly solutions become aesthetically an integral part of an architectural site or urban layout and do not have an adverse impact on the landscape. Technological progress in the application of digital techniques greatly enhances the architect’s tools in this matter as it enables not only the modelling of systems in the virtual space of the computer but also the simulation of processes in a search for optimum solutions, while keeping control of the form. This research have potential to be a tool conducive to the protection of the cultural and natural landscape. The aim of this paper is to analyze some of the recent achievements in using computer simulation, its usefulness in shaping and controlling the suburban landscape, and in particular solutions that draw energy from the sun.places. Apart from the role of identification, information and advertising, these signs have also aesthetic significance as well as they are spatial forms of territorial division.Después de un período de fascinación por el hecho mismo de generar energías renovables baratas, estamos entrando en un período de búsqueda de soluciones que no solo serían útiles sino que también tendrían una forma atractiva. La sociedad de la información establece para los diseñadores la tarea de garantizar que las soluciones respetuosas con el medio ambiente se conviertan en parte estética de un sitio arquitectónico o de diseño urbano y no tengan un impacto adverso en el paisaje. El progreso tecnológico en la aplicación de técnicas digitales mejora en gran medida las herramientas del arquitecto en esta materia, ya que permite no solo el modelado de sistemas en el espacio virtual de la computadora, sino también la simulación de procesos en la búsqueda de soluciones óptimas, mientras mantiene el control del sistema. formar. Esta investigación tiene potencial para ser una herramienta que conduzca a la protección del paisaje cultural y natural. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar algunos de los logros recientes en el uso de la simulación por computadora, su utilidad para moldear y controlar el paisaje suburbano y, en particular, las soluciones que obtienen energía del sol

Deep-sea mass-flow sediments and their exotic blocks from the Ropianka Formation (Campanian-Paleocene) in the Skole Nappe : a case from the Wola Rafałowska section (SE Poland)

Flysch deposits of the Ropianka Formation (Wiar and Leszczyny members; Skole Nappe) at Wola Rafałowska include two different sediments that contain exotic pebbles, cobbles and boulders. The first one is a graded conglomerate that contains mostly cobbles of sandstones, gneisses, Štramberk-type limestones, volcanic rocks, pegmatites and ferruginous siltstones. The second one is a pebbly mudstone that contains clasts of sandstones, stone coal, grey mudstones, volcanic rocks, schists, limestones, marls, black mudstones, conglomerates, volcaniclastic rocks and quartz gravels that are floating within a muddy matrix. Genesis of the conglomerate is unclear because it shows features typical of debris flows (poorly sorted, matrix- to clast-supported, large amount of cobble to boulder fraction) as well as high density turbiditic currents (indistinct normal gradation, small amount of cohesive material, crushed clasts that suggest interaction between grains during transportation and at least partly turbulence during flow). The pebbly mudstone represents typical debris flow deposits (large amount of cohesive material, matrix-supported, poorly sorted, lack of grain gradation and traction structures that suggest laminar flow). Limestones occurring in both exotic-bearing sediments show different Upper Jurassic-lowest Cretaceous facies of a carbonate platform, which was involved in the source area of the Skole Basin, along with its basement. They can be interpreted as deposits of: 1) platform-margin reefs and a platform slope: a) partly silicified coral boundstone, b) microbial-coral boundstone, c) silicified sponge-microbial boundstone grading into peloidal-ooidal grainstone with bioclasts, and d) strongly silicified limestone with intraclasts and bioclasts; 2) deeper, platform slope to toe-of-slope area - bioclastic wackstone; 3) inner platform, including: a) partly silicified wackstone with peloids, small intraclasts and bioclasts, and b) microbial bindstone. Moreover, some exotic clasts are built of Albian-Cenomanian wackstone with abundant sponge spicules and planktonic foraminifers, which are interpreted as deeper shelf sediments. Taking into account the geometry of thrust sheets from the site of the exotic-bearing sediments to the edge of the Skole Nappe, along the most probable transportation path, including tectonic/erosional reduction and different variants of slope inclination, the distance of the mass flows attained at least 25-97 km from the shelf edge

Paleocene sedimentary record of ridge geodynamics in Outer Carpathian basins (Subsilesian Unit)

The stratigraphic position of the Goryczkowiec Sandstone reflects the Paleocene ridge geodynamics in the Outer Carpathian basins. The Goryczkowiec Sandstone was deposited on the slope of a ridge, known as the Subsilesian Sedimentary Area that originated during reorganization of the Outer Carpathian realm. A Paleocene age of this sand- stone, documented clearly by autochthonous foraminiferal and algal assemblages indicates the time of the final forma- tion of the Subsilesian Ridge. Abundant calcareous material of biogenic origin was transported by turbidity currents into deeper zones. This material includes fragments of carbonate buildups represented by algae, bryozoans and other organisms growing in the shallower part of the ridge. The Goryczkowiec Sandstone, previously known as the Szydłowiec Sandstone, is here redefined as a new lithostratigraphic unit within the Subsilesian Sedimentary Area in the marginal Outer Carpathians in Poland. The new name clarifies the ambivalence in the lithostratigraphic nomenclature

Bile acid effects are mediated by ATP release and purinergic signalling in exocrine pancreatic cells

BACKGROUND: In many cells, bile acids (BAs) have a multitude of effects, some of which may be mediated by specific receptors such the TGR5 or FXR receptors. In pancreas systemic BAs, as well as intra-ductal BAs from bile reflux, can affect pancreatic secretion. Extracellular ATP and purinergic signalling are other important regulators of similar secretory mechanisms in pancreas. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether there is interplay between ATP and BA signalling. RESULTS: Here we show that CDCA (chenodeoxycholic acid) caused fast and concentration-dependent ATP release from acini (AR42J) and duct cells (Capan-1). Taurine and glycine conjugated forms of CDCA had smaller effects on ATP release in Capan-1 cells. In duct monolayers, CDCA stimulated ATP release mainly from the luminal membrane; the releasing mechanisms involved both vesicular and non-vesicular secretion pathways. Duct cells were not depleted of intracellular ATP with CDCA, but acinar cells lost some ATP, as detected by several methods including ATP sensor AT1.03(YEMK). In duct cells, CDCA caused reversible increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration [Ca(2 +)](i), which could be significantly inhibited by antagonists of purinergic receptors. The TGR5 receptor, expressed on the luminal side of pancreatic ducts, was not involved in ATP release and Ca(2+) signals, but could stimulate Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange in some conditions. CONCLUSIONS: CDCA evokes significant ATP release that can stimulate purinergic receptors, which in turn increase [Ca(2+)](i). The TGR5 receptor is not involved in these processes but can play a protective role at high intracellular Ca(2+) conditions. We propose that purinergic signalling could be taken into consideration in other cells/organs, and thereby potentially explain some of the multifaceted effects of BAs. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12964-015-0107-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Diminished production of TWEAK by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with vascular involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Widespread vasculopathy and profound fibrosis are key features of the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We hypothesized that the TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), a recently recognized multifunctional cytokine which regulates angiogenesis and tissue remodeling, may play a role in the development of SSc. The production of TWEAK by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was investigated, by means of ELISA, in 24 SSc patients and 14 healthy subjects. Moreover, production of TWEAK was correlated with clinical features of SSc. PBMC were isolated using density gradient centrifugation on Histopaque and were cultured in FCS supplemented RPMI medium at 37 degrees C under 5% CO2. Production of TWEAK by PBMC was significantly diminished in patients with more severe microvascular damage, as indicated by the presence of "active" capillaroscopic pattern, compared with SSc patients with less pronounced microangiopathy ("slow" pattern), and healthy subjects. Moreover production of TWEAK correlated inversely with duration of Raynaud's phenomenon. PBMC from patients with scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease tended to produce lower amounts of TWEAK compared with SSc patients without lung involvement but the difference was not significant. The results of our study suggest that diminished production of TWEAK might play a role in the pathogenesis of vascular injury in SSc patients. Whether TWEAK may represent a new therapeutic target in SSc requires further studies

Stres w pracy pielęgniarek a podejmowane zachowania zdrowotne

Wstęp. Stres jest czynnikiem powszechnie spotykanym w życiu człowieka. Powstaje na skutek oddziaływania różnego rodzajów stresorów, zdarzeń. Stresowi mogą towarzyszyć negatywne emocje, takie jak: lęk, strach, złość czy agresja. Natomiast skutkiem jego działania mogą być zmiany fizjologiczne i biochemiczne w organizmie człowieka. Cel pracy. Celem pracy była ocena natężenia stresu odczuwanego przez personel pielęgniarski pracujący w oddziałach Intensywnej Terapii oraz wpływ na podejmowane zachowania zdrowotne. Materiał i metody. Badaniem objęto grupę 100 pielęgniarek pracujących na oddziałach Anestezjologii i Intensywnej Terapii Szpitala Uniwersyteckiego w Krakowie. Badanie przeprowadzono przy użyciu kwestionariusza ankiety własnej konstrukcji oraz Inwentarza Zachowań Zdrowotnych (IZZ) i Skali Odczuwanego Stresu PSS-10. Analizę statystyczną wykonano w pro-gramie Stat Soft. W przeprowadzonych analizach za poziom istotności przyjęto wartość p<0,05. Wyniki. Uzyskane wyniki wykazały iż 86% przebadanych pielęgniarek odczuwa stres podczas pracy. Zaobserwowano obecność istotnych statystycznie korelacji między poziomem odczuwanego przez badanych stresu a ogólnym poziomem zachowań zdrowotnych (p=0,002; r=-0,30). Im wyższy poziom stresu od-czuwają pielęgniarki, tym w mniejszym stopniu zwracają uwagę na podejmowane zachowania zdrowotne. Wnioski. Pielęgniarki pracujące na oddziałach Intensywnej Terapii są narażone na oddziaływanie wielu stresogennych bodźców (nagła czy trudna intubacja, reanimacja). Pielęgniarki w wyniku oddziaływania stresu nie przestrzegają prawidłowych zachowań zdrowotnych, co może powodować uszczerbki na ich zdrowiu. Badane osoby głównie przestrzegają zachowania zdrowotne w zakresie prawidłowych nawyków żywieniowych oraz pozytywnego nastawienia psychicznego. Natomiast w niskim stopniu dbają o prawidłowe zachowania profilaktyczne.Introduction. Stress is a common phenomenon in human life. It results from a variety of stressors and experiences. Stress may be accompanied by negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger or aggression. The exposure to stress, in turn, may lead to physiological and biochemical changes in human organism. Aim of the study. The objective of the study was to assess the intensity of stress experienced by nursing staff working in intensive care units and to examine its influence on nurses’ health behaviours. Materials and methods. The study was carried out in a group of 100 nurses working in anaesthesiology and intensive care units of the University Hospital in Cracow. The following research tools were applied in the study: a self-designed questionnaire, Health-Related Behaviour Inventory and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). A statistical analysis was carried out with the application of Stat Soft programme. The significance level in the analyses was assumed at the value of p<0.05. Results. The results of the study show that 86% of the examined nurses experience stress at work. Statistically significant correlations were observed between the intensity of perceived stress and general health behaviours (p=0.002; r=-0.30). The higher stress nurses experience, the less attention they pay to health behaviours. Conclusions. Nurses working in intensive care units are exposed to numerous stress-inducing factors (sudden or difficult intubation, reanimation). As a result of stress nurses do not follow proper health behaviour routines, which may be detrimental to their health. The respondents tend to follow proper health behaviour routines as far as proper eating habits and positive mental attitude are concerned. However, they care very little about proper preventive measures